While getting my degree, I heard lecturers throw around the term “company culture” an awful lot. They talked about how every organization has its own values, goals, attitudes, and practices but never in my life did I realize these norms can be so… adaptable. But as Redditor u/idontwannabepicked’s post on r/AntiWork shows, there’s plenty of room to improvise.

The owner of the business she worked at, Mr. F., saw the woman more as a servant than an employee — the self-centered emperor demanded she stand up whenever he visited the shrine and would seriously punish her if she didn’t. Needless to say, it didn’t take long before u/idontwannabepicked had enough of these ceremonies.

Image credits: Pexels (not the actual photo)

Image credits: idontwannabepicked

All things considered, u/idontwannabepicked liked working at the company. “I adored this place. I really really did,” she told Bored Panda. “The pay was above average for my area. The benefits were great. Everything was very strictly done but I thrive on deadlines and knowing exactly how to do something, specifically how they wanted. It was a perfect work environment for me except for the owners. My supervisor was also someone I looked up to. She’s been there 5 years and was a strong, no bull***t woman but there was logic behind everything she did. Unlike the owners.”

Her colleagues also didn’t like Mr. F. “They were terrified of him. I was told repeatedly to drop any and everything if he called or came in. Nothing took priority over him, nothing. If I was on the phone when he came in, I had to put the client on hold. He wanted to be treated like a king in his business,” the Redditor explained.

u/idontwannabepicked is a little sad that everything played out the way it did. “I’m going through a divorce and had to move back in with my parents,” she said. “I haven’t been able to find a job since I quit, even though it’s only been a few weeks I hate not being productive. I’m saving for a house and this has put a huge dent in my plans. However, I have started taking a bunch of yoga classes in my spare time and reading more, so I’m doing good.”

The Redditor added that she really appreciates the validation that she did nothing wrong. “If anyone needs a 22-year-old divorcee to do computer work I’m here,” she said.

While u/idontwannabepicked’s story is an extreme example, there are many more people who are in a similar predicament in that they want to leave their bosses as well. In fact, a poll released in September by the Society for Human Resource Management found that over 40% of U.S. workers are actively searching for a new job right (the survey of 1,150 employed Americans was conducted from July 2 to 8).

If you also belong to this category, keep in mind that how you quit matters.

Instead of bursting into your manager’s office or firing them an angry email, leave your desk and take a walk. Do some quick meditation at your desk or vent your frustrations to a friend.

“All of those things will redirect the thought process for the time being and create a sense of calmness,” Toni Frana, a Destin, Florida-based career coach with FlexJobs, told CNBC.

“Making sure you have a laugh, reminding yourself that how you feel is not permanent, that is what can help the most with staving off those feelings of learned helplessness,” organizational psychologist Melissa Doman added.

But if your job continues to negatively impact your mental health in and outside of work and you can financially afford to quit without another lined up, do so.

Doman suggests being honest with yourself about why you want to quit, and even write it down.

This will help you to be very clear about your top needs and preferences in a new role when targeting other potential employers. Try to come up with a list of the top five non-negotiable things you need, as well as what you would prefer to have in your next job.

In the end, it’s all about making an informed decision!

People were really appalled by the way the man ran his company

Games

View all games

Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

Follow Bored Panda on Google News!

Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!